I Love Teen Titans Go!

The original Teen Titans was a series filled with drama, deep stories and the occasional comedy. Some people consider it the pinnacle of American Cartoons and rightfully so. We never got an actual conclusion to the show and it still stings to this day. I want to know who Red X is? My guess, Jason Todd. When Teen Titans was gone, along came Young Justice. Another great show that could be considered a spiritual successor in ways. A cartoon that placed more emphasis on drama and character development than making laughs. Then, like Teen Titans, it was snatched away from us before the conclusion.

What replaced them? Teen Titans Go! A comedy show with no series plot lines and a loose continuity at best. Understandably, people were not and still aren't happy. Despite the original cast returning there's usually nothing but disgust to be had when people mention the show. It's a comedy show and sometimes it does discredit the past series. On one occasion the villain Control Freak wrote off the original series as the crew being stuck in one of his traps, leaving them amazed at the past and wanting to go back. A tongue in cheek reference to fans wanting the old series back.

Even with all the reasons to hate Teen Titans Go! I can't help but love the series. That's right, my mind is telling me no but my body is telling me yeah and that reference doesn't fit here. I just can't help love the show and every fiber of my body tells me I should. However, when it comes on I just have to take a moment to see it and get a few laughs.

On the surface it's definitely a children's show but when has that ever stopped most people? The thing is, there's so much more underneath that. I'm not just talking about random sexual innuendo. No, I'm not talking about the constant theme of painting Batman and Commissioner Gordon as stoners. Nor am I talking about The Breakfast Club episode. There's a ton of references that only comic book fans would get. I don't mean simple references, like there's more than one robin. I'm not even going to talk about the fact they included Carie Kelly and a second Dick Grayson, but no Jason Todd. They had moody Tim down perfectly.

I'm talking deep comic references even the average reader might not get. For example, in one episode the team gets yearbooks, despite there only being 5 members on the team. The year books are signed by a cast of characters that people would recognize, and a ton that most people don't know exist, like The Haunted Tank. It doesn't stop there and the good people at TV Tropes have an entire list of these references.


Teen Titans Go! isn't out to ruin the past, in fact it's there to love and honor the past. The show is a throwback to the crazy things in the Silver Age of comics and there's nothing wrong with a show that doesn't take itself to seriously. It even pays homage to the original Teen Titans cartoon on several occasions. In the original cartoon there was a episode where members of the team dressed up as Robin because he had left the tower. Teen Titans Go! has an episode where the team does the same, but with Batman instead of Robin.

One of my favorite episodes has the team filling in for The Justice League. Not only does it have them doing something we all did, wanting to be Superheroes we looked up to, but again, it's paying homage. I say that because the Justice League costumes they wear are all based on the Justice League Unlimited character designs. From Martian Manhunter's always popped and stylish collar, to John Stewart's Green Lantern costume. The only thing missing was someone to play Hawkgirl. Also, it has The Golden Girls. Everyone loves The Golden Girls. During the whole episode Cyborg is talking about how much he wants to be in the Justice League and Robin keeps telling him it'll never happen because he's the only one that is League material. During the conclusion they accidentally kill Martian Manhunter and during the post credit scene (because they have those sometimes) Cyborg is seen in his New 52 design at the Hall of Justice, referencing the fact that New 52 has him as a founder of The Justice League and not Martian Manhunter.

Hell, there's even a brief crossover with Young Justice. Again, with Aqualad of The Young Justice team pointing out the show and providing a voice to people who dislike the show. That's the joy of Teen Titans Go! it doesn't take itself too seriously and still caters to people who hate it.

But here's the thing. Teen Titans Go! didn't kill Young Justice and may have even been in the works before Young Justice. The DC Nation YouTube Channel has a series of shorts titled The New Teen Titans drawn in an art style similar to to the original, but with character designs similar to Teen Titans Go!. This set of shorts is clearly in the Teen Titans Go! style of humor and takes place after the original Teen Titans series was canceled. All of the originals are after 2006 and before 2013 when Teen Titans Go started airing. Teen Titans didn't just get silly over night, it's been a long slow process and nobody watched.

Is Teen Titans Go! different than the original? Yes. Does it make a mockery of it? No. Is it over the top, ridiculous, and unbelievable? Yeah, but so are the comic books the show is based on. A lot of people hate the show and maybe some of those reasons are valid, but most come from people who went in with negative views or never even gave the show a chance. But me, I love Teen Titans Go!



You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts. He also plays classic arcade games on The Cabinet
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